According to conventional art, there is provided a vehicle with such a configuration that a roof panel is supported by a vehicle body via a link mechanism to allow opening/closing of the roof panel (see Patent Document 1). In particular, said link mechanism includes a front connecting link member being rotatably connected to each of said roof panel and vehicle body, and a rear connecting link member being rotatably connected to each of said roof panel and vehicle body at rear side of the vehicle than the front connecting link member, thereby composing a so-called four-jointed link mechanism. The roof panel can be opened or closed with respect to the vehicle body by driving the link mechanism.
In this vehicle, front edge portion of the roof panel is held by a front header of the vehicle body when the roof panel is in fully closed state. However, while a vehicle is running, a force to lift the roof panel upwardly is applied to the roof panel by aerodynamic force. If the force for lifting is excessive, the roof panel is lifted, and there is a possibility that airtightness between the roof panel and vehicle body is deteriorated.
The vehicle relating to Paten Document 1 is therefore equipped with a link restricting mechanism for restricting said link mechanism when the roof panel is in fully closed state. In particular, said link restricting mechanism includes an engaging pin provided to a front connecting link member and a hook member provided to a rear connecting link member to be engaged with the engaging pin to allow restriction of the front connecting link member and the rear connecting link member through engagement of the hook member and the engaging pin.
Thus, when the roof panel is in fully closed state, rigidity of the link mechanism is improved by restricting movements of the link mechanism, thereby suppressing lifting of the roof panel by the link mechanism.
Paten Document: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-264657